When I was in South Sudan, I had a little girl tap me on the shoulder and ask if I was a doctor. Believe me when I say I have never re-thought my career more than I did at that moment. Her dad was dying from a disease easily treated in a wealthier country, and she was looking for someone who could help. Such is life in South Sudan.
People ask me why I support Water is Basic, and my answer is always the same: there's nothing more important than water. You can fund education, healthcare, or business, but it's all a house of cards without clean water.
But another reason I support Water is Basic is that our solutions are smart. For example, when the pandemic hit, we developed a new model that employs women, speeds up a well repair process, and does so for a fraction of the cost. If you haven't helped fund our Women & Water initiative, do it now. I have seen the inner workings of dozens of great non-profits, and there is no one operating as entrepreneurially and efficiently as Water is Basic.
But the third (and most important) reason I support Water is Basic is that I genuinely believe that the little girl I met deserves better. She deserves to be in school instead of fetching water four hours a day. She deserves to dream of a future without malnutrition and water-borne disease.
I will never understand why the lottery of birth put me in a country where I never have to think about water, and here in a country where it's always on her mind. I do know I can help. I'm not a doctor (I wish I were), but I have more than enough resources to make a dent in the water crisis––and you can too. Before the end of the year, I hope you think carefully about funding one of our projects and giving literal life to thousands of people who need it most in 2021.
